Look to the East

Title: LOOK TO THE EAST
Author: Maureen Lang
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
September 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4143-2435-7
Genre: Inspirational/historical/romance

Juliette Toussaint is a outcast in her remote French village of Briecourt since she was adopted from a faraway island. And the feud between the families of the Toussaints and the Colvilles rages—with both sides united in their distain of Juliette. Juliette longs for something to change—and she dreams of the tall, blond, handsome Charles that she met.

But then the Germans invade France, and all the young men go off to war. Juliette, the other women, and some older or unwell men are all that are left in the village. When the Germans invade her tiny village, the town most rally to survive.

Charles Lassone is a wealthy Belgium entrepreneur. He dreamed of joining the war and defending his country against Germany, but then he meets up with the French…and his car is stolen. Suddenly, Charles finds himself living the life of a beggar, hiding from the Germans, and struggling to survive. When he lands in Briecourt and hides in the cellar of the church—but if he is discovered by the Germans it will bring danger to the village and could cost Charles his life.

I have read all of Ms. Lang’s books so far and have loved every one of them, especially her war based stories. LOOK TO THE EAST is a book that may start a bit slow, but it is engaging and by the time I got to page 50 in the book I was completely drawn in.

I enjoyed getting to know Juliette and Charles and some of the other colorful characters in this book and I had to keep reading to see what would happen. Of German ancestry, I am horrified by the things my German ancestors have done, but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the story. I especially enjoyed the Author’s note that gave the history of the events included in this book. $12.99. 358 pages.